I must admit I approached The Cabrillo Music Theatre's new production of Jekyll & Hyde with some trepidation. I had seen the Frank Wildhorn-Leslie Bricusse pop-opera back in the late 90's on Broadway after it had enjoyed great success on the road. Truth be told, I didn't like it very much nor did the critics. But it was an audience favorite running for almost three years in New York and continues to be a staple in theatres all across the country.
So imagine my surprise when I found myself enjoying this re-vamped production at the Thousand Oaks Civic Center. It's still feels a bit derivative of such musicals as Les Miserables and Oliver, but director Nick DeGruccio has streamlined and re-focused this show. Yes, too many of the songs still tend to sound alike, but to quote one of Bricusse's own lyrics in Act Two, De Gruccio has given this show a new life. He has enlisted a uniformly excellent cast and wisely never allows them to push or overplay the material.
The well-known story by Robert Louis Stevenson is the classic battle between good and evil and the dual personality within every man. The highly talented Robert Townsend is unforgettable in the title role. He has a rich baritone voice and impressively handles the transformation between the two characters. He gives us a Dr. Jekyll we care about and a menacing Hyde that gives us the chills. His rendition of the musical's famous anthem, "This is the Moment" was the highlight of the evening and deservedly stopped the show. Lulu Lloyd, as Lucy the doomed prostitute, makes the role her own. Since the role was written to spotlight Wildhorn's then wife, Linda Eder, it makes Lloyd's accomplishment even more notable. Her first song, "Bring on the Men," is a rousing music-hall dance number that wasn't in the Broadway version and is a smart and welcome addition.
Beth Obregon as Hyde's fiancée Emma is locked into a role that is so passive it doesn't allow her to do much. Yet she manages to present a fully realized character of surprising strength and sympathy. The duet between Lloyd and Obregon on "In His Eyes" is a tour-de-force for both of these fine actresses. Aaron Phillips is excellent as Hyde's closest friend John and Douglas Crawford is spot on as Simon Stride, Dr. Jekyll's jealous rival who leads a secret, dual life himself.The effectively conceived sets by T. Theressa Scaraon and the lighting created by Steven Young are stunning and transport us between the affluent world of London's aristocracy and its underworld of brothels and sewers.
Jekyll & Hyde will never be a perfect musical, but with a terrific cast and in this first-rate production, it is well worth a visit.
Jekyll & Hyde runs through March 16th, for Cabrillo Music Theatre in the Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Countrywide Performing Arts Center located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks. Tickets can be purchased at the box office or by calling 805-583-8700.
